


The Rainy Interlude

by Yangs Sunglasses (Nilenium)



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Banter, F/M, Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8186458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nilenium/pseuds/Yangs%20Sunglasses
Summary: One rainy day on Phezzan, Hilda and Reinhard share a smoke on a balcony.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I thought about what might be Hilda's flaw and this fic happened.

The stack of documents on the Kaiser's desk wasn't decreasing no matter how much he glared at it. Although he was usually fastidious in completing his paperwork, after a full day behind the desk even he felt drained and listless. Due to moving the capital from Odin to Phezzan, the workload had doubled, putting an additional burden on his shoulders. Reinhard would have been buried under the papers up to his neck if not for the administrative ability of Fräulein von Mariendorf. 

The young ruler stole a look at his secretary's desk which was in front of him and just to the right, at a respectable but not too far distance. Hilda had excused herself just a second ago and the urge to investigate where she's recently started disappearing to became overwhelming. Reinhard took another considering look at the waiting paperwork, then got up. It could wait for him a little longer and a short break wouldn't hurt him, on the opposite—it may save his sanity. 

Reinhard left the office in a hurry, only stopping to ask the guards outside for the direction Fräulein had taken, then swiftly departed, taking long strides to catch up with her. 

He found her easily. The balcony's glass door was ajar, the white sheer curtains fluttering delicately in the damp draught. Through the semi-transparent fabric he saw the small figure, slumped over the railing and looking out at the rain. There was something melancholic in this picture. Reinhard stared at her back, wondering if he should leave her alone, but in the end his pride and courage pushed him forward. He entered the balcony with nary a sound. 

With the unobstructed view from the side, he finally found out what Fräulein was doing there. She was holding a cigarette between her slim fingers, pressing it to her lips, with her eyes closed as she gave herself to the vice. 

“So this is where you are going on breaks all the time,” Reinhard said. 

Hilda startled at the sound of his voice. 

“Your Majesty! I'm sorry, was I taking too long?” Of course she thought he came to get her back to work. She made a motion as if to hide the cigarette, but gave up on it, realizing he'd already seen it. 

“No, I'm on a break too,” he replied. She gave him a discerning look, figuring out that he must have followed her.“I didn't know you were smoking,” he commented. 

“Oh, it's just an old habit that came back,” she explained. “I learned it when I was still studying on Odin, but I haven't smoked in a while. Is it bothering you, Your Majesty?” 

“No, it's fine.” Reinhard stopped her from snuffing the cigarette in the conveniently placed ashtray. Interesting, he noted to himself. This balcony must have been an unofficial designated smoking spot, judging by the ashes and cigarette butts accumulated in the metal receptacle. 

Hilda looked at him to make sure he was really okay with it, then returned to her previous position leaning over the railing as she took a drag. 

“Why did you start smoking again?” Reinhard asked. He supposed his curiosity was picked because she usually didn't talk about herself, at least not to him. 

“It helps me relax. We have a lot going on now,” she said, twirling the cigarette elegantly as she considered it. “I always smoked before exams.” 

“Was it allowed?” Reinhard inquired. He didn't know how the civilian university compared to the military academy he had attended. In his school using any kind of substance was prohibited and strictly punished. 

Hilda let out a tinkling laugh. 

“No, it wasn't. I was doing it in secret, out of sight. If someone had caught me, I'd have had to listen to a long lecture about how unladylike it was.” She rolled her eyes. 

“I didn't take you for a rebel, Fräulein,” Reinhard said with a smile. 

She grinned. “Your Majesty, I wouldn't have followed you if I wasn't one.” 

Standing side by side, they observed the dark clouds and listened to the monotone pitter-patter of the rain. The curtain of water obscured the grey-blue city landscape, the shapes of buildings blurred like in the impressionist painting. Hilda took a drag and released the smoke slowly through her nose and mouth. Reinhard's gaze followed the silvery trail until it dissipated in the air. 

“Can I try?” he asked. 

Fräulein looked at him in surprise, then reached into her pocket. She took out a cigarette case emblazoned with her family crest and opened it. It was empty. “This is my last one,” she said apologetically. 

“I don't mind.” 

Her eyes widened as she worked through his request—was it really so strange?—then after noticing his expectant expression, she finally passed him her cigarette. Reinhard rubbed it between his fingers, getting the feel of the small stick of tobacco wrapped in paper, then put it in his mouth. 

“Don't inhale,” Fräulein warned. “Just taste the smoke.” 

Reinhard did as she instructed. The taste wasn't as bad as he thought—it dried his tongue, but it also had a tang of something luxurious and forbidden that appealed to him. He savoured the unique flavour, then accidentally inhaled it too deeply. 

Reinhard coughed and spluttered as his lungs violently rejected the smoke. 

“Are you okay, Your Majesty?” Hilda asked. “Should I get you something to drink?” 

He shook his head. “I'm fine, thank you,” he said with a rasp and returned the cigarette to her. “I'm not used to smoking.” 

“It's bad for health, so maybe this is for the better,” she said in that sensible tone that made him act contrary. 

“Perhaps I should ban all tobacco products in my new Empire,” he mused, observing her reaction. 

Hilda shrugged. “Then I'll have to hide again. Nothing new for me.” She puffed on the cigarette with a studied nonchalance. “But I didn't take Your Majesty for the kind of paranoid ruler that bans things simply because they're a danger to his health.” 

Reinhard gave her a sharp smile. “I can assure you, Fräulein, that even if I smoked a pack every day for the rest of my life, I wouldn't die of such a trivial disease as lung cancer.” 

“I should hope so,” she replied and took a deep drag then slowly blew it out, like she was challenging him. Reinhard never backed down from a challenge. His eyes narrowed on the cigarette. 

“Give it to me,” he demanded and this time she had no hesitation when she handed the cigarette over. 

He didn't play with it, just put it in between his lips and carefully tasted again. He was determined to get used to it as fast as possible. He suppressed another dry cough. 

Fräulein gave him an amused look, to which he raised a brow, daring her to say something. She didn't comment. 

They stayed on the balcony, staring at the rain and sharing a smoke until only the butt remained and Reinhard put it out in the ashtray. Then they returned to their mundane office and the piles of paperwork. 

What Reinhard didn't tell Hilda was that he'd tasted her cherry lip gloss on the filter. 

He frowned. He should watch himself or he might get addicted. To smoking, of course. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment :) It was my first time writing Reinhard and Hilda, did I get them right?


End file.
